Chapter 6: Livorno - A coast line and nothing more!

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Chapter 6

Livorno - a coast line and nothing more

When coming to Pisa, Martin had noticed a beautiful coastline just south of Pisa and thought it may be an idea to visit whilst based at Pisa. Livorno was to become a day trip on a whim, a little side stepping to explore a place they’d never heard of and would never have dreamed of visiting. For breakfast they nipped into the same chocolate bar they had come across the day before, and tasted the delights of a very sweet hot chocolate before catching the train to Livorno.

Only 20 minutes by train south of Pisa, they arrived in Livorno, or rather they arrived at a pretty average looking station about 1 mile from the town. Livorno is to be found on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany. It is also the capital of the Province of Livorno and claims to be the third largest port on the western coast of Italy. It all sounded promising and looked like it may provide an interesting place to meander. During the Renaissance, it was defined as an “ideal town”, how standards have slipped.

The reality was very different, the town had absolutely nothing to offer, even the coastline was nowhere near as attractive as it had seemed from the speeding train. In fact apart from the rare view of the island of Capraia, Livorno is a nothing place, where it would be best not to throw a coin in the fountain as you would have no desire to return. They trundled around for about 4 miles and even the things that were on offer looked faded and deserted. The Museo Mascagnano was closed, the Sanctuary of Montenero was closed, even the monument of the four turks had seen better days. The only real claim to fame is that the town was named after a chicken, the leghorn, which really says it all.

The plan for adventure had seriously backfired, as our two headed back to Pisa a little disappointed by the Tuscan gem on the coast. Upon returning to Pisa, a bottle of wine and some sausage was bought to be consumed on the hostel balcony. Unfortunately there was only one glass in the room, so Martin consumed his wine from an iced tea cup, a combination which would not be advised. Evening was upon them, and the sausage had barely staved off the hunger, so off to dinner it was. The guide book offered a restaurant with a quirky waiter who does impressions, though he must have only been there in summer, as there was no sign of him. Not sure how many Italians either of them would have been able to recognise from his impressions anyhow.

The restaurant itself was very pleasant though, Maya had a traditional meat stew, whereas Martin settled for the rabbit, all beautifully downed with a litre of red wine. The setting was calm, the service not overly attentive and the food delicious. Probably the best meal they had consumed since leaving sunny Chesterfield.

On the way back, Maya fancied a Marguerita and Martin downed a bloody Mary, not quite realising the size of the measures in Italy. It soon became very clear that Maya wasn’t feeling too well, the melange of Marguerita and red wine had obviously created a concoction her stomach was unhappy with. Vomiting did not actually occur but wasn’t far off as the night spun into oblivion. Highlight: The rabbit. Accommodation: 35 euros a night Cheap as chips.

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